She said she knows of only one other company that has had its contract terminated in her five years working with the county.

“We compared notes at Sweetwater, and they had very similar issues (with the company) as we did,” Heinze said. “They’re not meeting our requirements, and they didn’t meet Sweetwater’s and it’s unfortunate because it’s taxpayers’ money.”

A new library has been planned for more than six years. For Lincoln Acres residents, the building represented more than a house for books.

Neighbors had hoped to celebrate an annual celebration of life event this November at their new civic hub. The event honors José Luis Rodríguez, a library volunteer who was shot and killed in 2007 just minutes before his 18th birthday in Chula Vista.

Rodríguez was a beloved member of the Lincoln Acres community. The new library reading room is to be named after him.

“We remember him still today. He was a good boy — an example,” said resident Sonia Guzman, 46, tearing up recalling the shooting.

Guzman has lived next door to the library for about six years — the same amount of time the community has been promised a new building, which is also to include a sheriff’s field office.

She worries the area — just a foundation cluttered with nails and rebar — could be a safety hazard for her 8-year-old son.

“We are upset and sad because we saw they stopped the construction,” Guzman said. “We’ve been waiting for that library for a long time.”

County officials said they hope to begin work again with a new construction company by late August.